Watchhouse August 19, 2021 Red Butte Garden Amphitheater
The timing of this show couldn’t have been any better. It’s a cold brisk night in Salt Lake City. The perfect company for that is some good Folk/Americana music provided by Watchhouse, formerly known as Mandolin Orange.
The Beers On Me Tour kicked off in Salt Lake City, August 13th, 2021 and it was a packed house. It was a beautiful summer night and I was excited to immerse myself in something new. My knowledge of country music and culture is very little. Coming into this I’ve never listened to Dierks Bentley and it was something I was ready to experience.
When I tell you that I was excited about this concert, it would be a severe understatement. I have been a fan of Ritt Momney for a few years now, and I couldn’t wait to see him perform for the 13th Annual DIY festival in Salt Lake City! The DIY festival was created to cultivate an environment that inspires and promotes local artists. I was impressed with the variety of artists that participated in the festival. I loved the inclusive atmosphere that was provided for each person to display their work.
With a minute to go until the 8 o’clock showtime, chimes warned the stragglers filtering through security in the Eccles Theater lobby to take their seats. These chimes were more of a guarantee than a warning, as Joe Bonamassa and his band took the stage not a moment past 8:01. Beyond punctual, the all-time #1 Billboard Blues Album record holder has been described as “magical” and “transformational.”
The recent cold front brought in so much smoke and bad air from the Oregon and California fires over the weekend. Despite that, things were fairly clear at the Sandy Amphitheater for the great Melissa Etheridge. There was a slight haze covering the mountains, but the air was significantly better than it had been the few days prior. The temperature was perfect. It was totally warm without being too hot.
The year was 2009. Alternative Brit Band, Keane was at the height of their powers and had just sold out the Palladium in Hollywood. I was there. The memories of how excited I was for that concert still feel fresh. Turned out, unbeknownst to me, a buddy of mine would be attending the concert as well.
I went on and on about Keane and asked him several times how excited he was to see them live. He mentioned to me that he wasn’t going to the show to see Keane at all, that he was only familiar with a few of their hits. As I pulled my jaw from the ground to put it back in place I asked, “Is your date a Keane fan? Why are you going then?”. He said, “Mat Kearney’s opening. I’m going to see him.” Stupidly I asked, “Who’s Mat Kearney?”. My friend replied, “You’ll see.”.
Depending on which song you’re listening to, you could call it country with a bluesy, folksy twist. You could call it alt-rock with a country cadence. Gothic bluegrass? Americana? It doesn’t matter. Shakey Graves isn’t bound by, or dependent on, genre. Like a true artist, he pulls technique from anywhere that suits him. The result is unique, catchy, and refreshing.
On Friday, July 30, 2021, The Depot was packed with people. The venue was filled with love and good vibes because of Utah’s own local band, Native Leaves. Native Leaves are a reggae band from the 801 who know how to throw a show! The night consisted of some fantastic openers, along with the beautiful Analea Brown who truly knows how to own the stage. Her beautiful voice paired with some lovely cultural dancing by her and her crew were so fun to watch! She had the crowd dancing and vibing along with her. She did an amazing job at setting the tone and preparing the crowd for the headliners of the night.
It was a perfect night for a concert and for King & Country did not disappoint. It was another sold-out show at the Sandy Amphitheater. This summer they have had a great run of shows and they’re packing the place.